succour

Meanings

Noun

• Aid, assistance, or relief given to one in distress; ministration.
• Aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers, especially reinforcements sent to support military action.
• Protection, refuge, shelter; a place providing such protection, refuge or shelter.

Verb

• To give aid, assistance, or help.
• To provide aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers; in particular, for helping a place under siege.
• To protect, to shelter; to provide a refuge.

Origin

• The noun is derived from Middle English socour, which was erroneously treated as the singular form of socours, from Anglo-Norman socurs, sucurs, and Old French secors, secours, socors, socorse (compare Anglo-Norman soccour, socur, succour, succur, variants of Old French secor; modern French secours), from Medieval Latin succursus, from Latin succurrēre, from succurrō, from sub- + currō (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers-). The English word is cognate with Italian soccorso.
• The verb is derived from Middle English socouren, from Anglo-Norman socure (compare Middle French secourir, Old French succurir, sucurir; modern French secourir), from Latin succurrēre; see further above. The English word is cognate with Italian soccorrere, Occitan secorrer, socorre, Portuguese socorrer, Spanish socorrer.